Studies on soil fertility status of coffee growing regions in Wayanad district

Top soil in Wayanad region is prone to disturbance and erosion, as the coffee growers’ practice scraping, scuffling and cover digging. It isnecessary to conserve the inherent fertility of top soil by minimum disturbance during farming operations. Otherwise soil deterioration can become one of the major constraints for crop production in the present day exploitative cultivation of plantation crops. It is well known that nutrient availability is influenced by their distribution in the soil as well as other soil characteristics. Soil fertility is the key to meet the nutrient requirement of the crops. Soil test based nutrient management will increase the crop productivity there by helping to save the fertility. The study, carried out to understand the fertility status of the coffee soils, revealed a higher acidity (98%) with deficiencies of calcium (32%), magnesium (96%) and boron (31%) limiting the coffee productivity in the district. The coffee area in the district is strongly acidic (69%) due to lack of liming and continuous use of acid producing fertilizers. Fifty per cent of soil sampleswere high in phosphorus which in turn impair the nutrient balance and affects micronutrient absorption by plants. Deficiency of calcium and magnesium affects uptake of other nutrients which upsets cellular functions. In coffee, boron deficiency will reduce the productivity by affecting flowering and fruit set. Amelioration of soil acidity and optimal use of major, secondary and micronutrients are must to enhance coffee productivity in the district. Application of manures and fertilizers based on soil test values will save the fertilizers and also sustain the soil health. Integrated management of plant nutrients is essential to achieve sustainable coffee crop production

The dominant Anopheles vectors of human malaria in the Asia-Pacific region: occurrence data, distribution maps and bionomic précis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The final article in a series of three publications examining the global distribution of 41 dominant vector species (DVS) of malaria is presented here. The first publication examined the DVS from the Americas, with the second covering those species present in Africa, Europe and the Middle East. Here we discuss the 19 DVS of the Asian-Pacific region. This region experiences a high diversity of vector species, many occurring sympatrically, which, combined with the occurrence of a high number of species complexes and suspected species complexes, and behavioural plasticity of many of these major vectors, adds a level of entomological complexity not comparable elsewhere globally. To try and untangle the intricacy of the vectors of this region and to increase the effectiveness of vector control interventions, an understanding of the contemporary distribution of each species, combined with a synthesis of the current knowledge of their behaviour and ecology is needed.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Expert opinion (EO) range maps, created with the most up-to-date expert knowledge of each DVS distribution, were combined with a contemporary database of occurrence data and a suite of open access, environmental and climatic variables. Using the Boosted Regression Tree (BRT) modelling method, distribution maps of each DVS were produced. The occurrence data were abstracted from the formal, published literature, plus other relevant sources, resulting in the collation of DVS occurrence at 10116 locations across 31 countries, of which 8853 were successfully geo-referenced and 7430 were resolved to spatial areas that could be included in the BRT model. A detailed summary of the information on the bionomics of each species and species complex is also presented.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This article concludes a project aimed to establish the contemporary global distribution of the DVS of malaria. The three articles produced are intended as a detailed reference for scientists continuing research into the aspects of taxonomy, biology and ecology relevant to species-specific vector control. This research is particularly relevant to help unravel the complicated taxonomic status, ecology and epidemiology of the vectors of the Asia-Pacific region. All the occurrence data, predictive maps and EO-shape files generated during the production of these publications will be made available in the public domain. We hope that this will encourage data sharing to improve future iterations of the distribution maps.</p

Prunella vulgaris: A comprehensive review of chemical constituents, pharmacological effects and clinical applications.

Prunella vulgaris (PV) is a perennial herb belonging to the Labiate family and is widely distributed in northeastern Asian countries such as Korea, Japan, and China. It is reported to display diverse biological activities including anti-microbial, anti-cancer, and anti-inflammation as determined by in vitro or in vivo studies. So far, about 200 compounds have been isolated from PV plant and majority of these have been characterized mainly as triterpenoids, sterols and flavonoids, followed by coumarins, phenylpropanoids, polysaccharides and volatile oils. This review summarizes and analyzes the current knowledge on the chemical constituents, pharmacological activities, mechanisms of action and clinical applications of the PV plant including its potential as a future medicinal plant. Although some of the chemical constituents of the PV plant and their mechanism of action have been investigated the biological activities of many of these remain unknown and further clinical trials are required to further enhance its reputation as a medicinal plant

Thermal behaviour of ring- and compact-spun yarn single jersey, rib and interlock knitted fabrics

250-257The effect of thermal behaviour, such as thermal insulation, thermal conductivity and thermal diffusion, of single jersey, rib and interlock knitted fabrics made out of ring- and compact-spun yarns has been studied. The physical characteristics, such as fabric aerial density, air permeability, tightness factor, and fabric thickness, have been studied and their relationship with thermal behaviour using multivariable ANOVA analysed. The experimental results show that the thermal conductivity, thermal diffusion and thermal resistance of the knitted fabrics depend on the fabric properties such as thickness, tightness factor, aerial density and air permeability. It is found that the compact-spun yarn knitted fabrics (Sussen Elite and Com4) show higher thermal insulation behaviour in all the knitted structures in comparison to ring- spun yarn knitted fabrics

Elimination of inhibitory effects of chlorpyrifos and quinolphos on radish and green gram seed germination by bioremediation of contaminated soil: A comparative study

The effects of Chlorpyrifos and quinolphos on the germination of radish and green gram seeds were tested. Both radish and green gram showed marked reduction in germination percentage and seedling vigour index. The abnormalities and reduction in germination increased with increasing concentration of these pesticides studied. At 50μg of Chlorpyrifos and quinolphos level the germination of radish and green gram seeds were inhibited almost completely on moist filter paper and soil. Protease and amylase activities were reduced in seeds grown on soil spiked with Chlorpyrifos and quinolphos. Bioremediation of Chlorpyrifos and quinolphos-spiked soils with a Chlorpyrifos and quinolphos-degrading microbial consortium helped in eliminating the toxic effects of these pesticides towards seed germination. The degradation of 50μg Chlorpyrifos and quinolphos in soil was complete by 24 hrs. The seed germination and the activities of the assayed enzymes, amylase and protease, were same as before or better in bioremediated soils

Biodegradation of Quinolphos by defined microbial consortium

Quinolphos (O,O-diethyl O-quinoxalin-2-yl phosphorothiate) is a synthetic organo-phosphate, non-systemic, broad spectrum insecticide and acaricide, acting as a cholinesterase inhibitor in contact with stomach and respiratory system. A microbial consortium that can utilize quinolphos as a sole source of carbon and energy was isolated from soil through a novel technique involving an initial enrichment in a column reactor followed by enrichment in a shake flask. Exposure to Quinolphos and its metabolites can affect the human health. A diverse range of microorganisms responsible for Quinolphos degradation has been reported. In the present investigation, a new microbial consortium degrading Quinolphos has been developed. Factors such induction, inoculum level, concentration of the substrate, soil pH, soil moisture, etc., affecting degradation were also studied. Inoculum level of 500 μg protein/mL and a pH 7.5 at ambient temperature (26–28°C) resulted in degradation of Quinolphos upto 50 ppm

Native and modeled disulfide bonds in proteins: knowledge-based approaches toward structure prediction of disulfide-rich polypeptides

Structure prediction and three-dimensional modeling of disulfide-rich systems are challenging due to the limited number of such folds in the structural databank. We exploit the stereochemical compatibility of substructures in known protein structures to accomodate disulfide bonds in predicting the structures of disulfide-rich polypeptides directly from disulfide connectivity pattern and amino acid sequence in the absence of structural homologs and any other structural information. This knowledge-based approach is illustrated using structure prediction of 40 nonredundant bioactive disulfide-rich polypeptides such as toxins, growth factors, and endothelins available in the structural databank. The polypeptide conformation could be predicted in 35 out of 40 nonredundant entries (87%). Nonhomologous templates could be identified and models could be obtained within 2 Å deviation from the query in 29 peptides (72%). This procedure can be accessed from the World Wide Web (http://www.ncbs.res.in/~faculty/mini/dsdbase/dsdbase.html)